Rapid towel hanger



F. PHILIPPE, Sn. RAPID TOWEL HANGER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 1921.

Patented Dec. 5,1922. g

f1 TTOH/VEYS Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

` raarste FLORENT PHILIPPE, SR., OF SOUTH CHARLESTON,

Hl-EST VRGINXA.

BAPXD TCVWEL HANGER.

Application filed May 9, 1921. Serial No.

To @ZZ ywhom it may cori/cern.'

Be it known that l, FLORENT lPHlLirrri, Sr., a citizen of Belgium, and a resident of South Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Rapid rl`owel Hanger, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to a towel hanger and has for its general object to provide a device for the indicated purpose of few and simple parts and whereby a towel or the like may be clamped in position with facility and readily removed.

Reference is to be had to the accomj'ianying drawings forming a part of this specification, it being understood that the drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a towel hanger embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side view thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan view;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale, parts being omitted;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the towel hanger on a reduced scale with the towel held by the clamp.

ln carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example, a back 10 is provided preferably in the form of a plate having holes 11 adapted to receive screws 12 or like fasteners, one of said holes being in a depending extension 13 of the back plate, the lower end 14- of which extension is directed forwardly for a purpose that will appear. The screws 12 serve to secure the hanger vertically on a wall or other support.

Un the back 10 are jaws 15 preferably of sheet material and pivotally supported. Retaining means for the jaws 15 consists of a bolt 16 and nut 17. The upper ends of the jaws 15 curve inwardly toward each other and in the opposed edges are concave recesses 18 conforming to a washer 19 on the bolt 16 in the plane of said jaws. The conn nection is completed by a larger washer 2O outside of the washer 19 and overlapping the adjacent ends of the jaws 15.

A coil spring 21 is disposed transversely between the jaws 15 and secured at its ends to out-turned lugs 22 or equivalent means lesbar.

so that the spring tends to 21 and constitute a guard therefor. t will be seen from Figure 1 that the opposed in* ner edges of the jaws. 15 above `the w sher 19 are flaring in an upward direction relatively to each other, so that the jaws are afforded clearance to have a pivotal movement in a common plane about the edge of washer 19, the spring 21 and washer 2O preventing` displacement of the jaws.

rlhe adjacent clamping ends of the jaws 15 are formed with flanges 25 directed forwardly and disposed at angles so that the flanges are convergent toward their lower ends to clamp a towel therebetween. Also, the flanges curve laterally outward in opposite directions as at 26. rlhe clamping surfaces 27 of the jaws adjacent to the lower` ends of the flanges 25, 26 are formed with proturberances and corresponding depressions or equivalent roughened members to increase the gripping action and below the gripping surfaces the flanges are out-turned on curved lines as at 28.

1rWith the described construction the towel is talren hold of at one corner between the thumb and second finger leaving the corner projecting above the top of the forefinger. The forofinger is employed to force the towel down witl'i a sudden movement between the coiiifergent flanges 25. 26. the pres sure seiiing to spread the jaws against the tension of the 21. llhe downward pressure by the foreiing is continued unill the linger ypasses through the jaws and is arrested by the stop 14.4 the corner portion of the towel which extends above the fore finger remaii'iing between the jaws to be gripped thereby when the jaws close in response to the .reaction of the spring 21, thereby leaving the towel suspended by its corner as indicated in Figure 2.

l would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practical embodiment of my invention. l do not limit myself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same jaws in the closed position. j

can be considerably varied 'Without departure 'from the spirit of the invention as dc- (ined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my inventionn claim:

l. device ot the class described incli1d inga back, and spring-pressed jaws mounted on a common pivot at their upper ends on said back7 the lower ends of said jaws presenting opposed gripping' surfaces approximatelj7 in the vertical plane o!" tlie pirotal center of the jaws and there. beitig for- Wardljv directed flanges on the Y angle to tbe plane ot the javvs above said gripping surfaces and convergrino toward the latter.

2. A device of tlie class de1-1rrilied includ ing a back. and spring-pressed jans pivotalljy mounted at their upper ends on said back, the lower ends of said jaws presentingopposed gripping' surfaces and there being` langjes on the. aivs above said Bpinfg surfaces and coni*ergingv toward tlie latterg together with a stop beloiv the jaws so that a, linger pressed doivnwardlgy between the jaws to separate the saine may have movement. toward the said stop to be arrested by the latter.

3. A device of the class described 'including;` aback having` a. depending member directedy forwarfillv at its loner edge to constitute a linger stop, and spring-pressed pivll. A device oli tbe class described incliiding a back, a pivot member projecting` `l'orwardly troni the face of said back, springpressed javvs iniposed on said back at tbe sides of said pivot and present-ing' concave recesses in their opposed edges at the ripper ends ot the jaws, there being a round member on said pivot in tbe planes of' the jaws, the sides of .said member conforming' to .said recesses. and clamp means on tbe pivot bearin;` aeainst said round meniber and overlapping the jaws.

5. A device ot the class described, including a back` jaws mounted on a common pivot at their upper ends on said back, and flaringT downwardly below their point oi" contact and spring' means tending to hold the jaws closed7 said jaws adjacent to their lower ends presenting` opposed clamping; surfaces approximately in the vertical plane ot the pivotal center ot the aws and having menibers above said clamping` surfaces convergent towaro said surfaces and directed :torivardly troni the planes of the jaws and then laterallg7 outward in opposite directions.

FLORENT PHILIPPE, SR, 

